


A Question of W/Vows and Promises

by Creator_Chaos



Category: Kamen Rider W (Double)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 21:50:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13132935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creator_Chaos/pseuds/Creator_Chaos
Summary: It was the night after Akiko’s wedding, Shotaro and Philip resting comfortably back at the agency after seeing her and Terui off, when Philip asked.“Shotaro, have you ever thought about getting married?”





	A Question of W/Vows and Promises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [artistic0-0insanity](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=artistic0-0insanity).



> A gift for artistic0-0instanity (tumblr) for KR Secret Santa '17. Hope you enjoy!

It was the night after Akiko’s wedding, Shotaro and Philip resting comfortably back at the agency after seeing her and Terui off, when Philip asked.

“Shotaro, have you ever thought about getting married?”

Shotaro struggled to find his breath and an answer. Had he thought of it? Sure. Not much when he was younger, beyond assuming he’d settle down with a girl one day, because he was still pretending that his attraction to women was the only attraction he felt. A little bit later, but mostly to think that he’d never have time for a wife with his hard-boiled lifestyle. And now, his partner draped across his lap, looking up at him past the blank book in his hands?

Shotaro didn’t know how to put it into words, so instead he redirected with a weak, “Why do you ask?”

“Aki-chan looked so beautiful in her dress today. Do you think I would too? In a wedding dress?”

Shotaro blinked at him in surprise. “Would you want to wear one?” Philip continued looking at him with that pout he wore when he wanted answers, so Shotaro replied, “You do look good in dresses. But then,” he added sheepishly, “you always look beautiful.”

Philip’s pout transformed into a gleeful grin. “Hey Shotaro. Let’s get married.”

Shotaro choked. “Philip, we can't just--get married!”

“Why not? Oh, I suppose I should have gotten a ring before suggesting it? But I'm fairly certain we could get all the necessary materials tomorrow.”

“No, it's not about getting  _ stuff _ . What do you think marriage is?”

Philip sat up, pausing to consider. “Ah, I see. Marriage is a contract between people. The celebration is merely a public acknowledgement of that contract.” He looked back at Shotaro. “So, what is preventing us from forming this contract?”

“Well, it's… it's a  _ legal _ contract. And you don't, you know… legally exist.”

For the first time in their conversation Philip looked unsettled, which should have been fair since Shotaro had never been settled, but he hated it anyway. “I hadn't considered that would be a problem for me, since I don't need to attend school or get a job. But Aki-chan and Terui Ryu are flying away to their honeymoon, and I can't do that either.”

“Well, I mean, I'm sure with some time, we could get you some documents, if you ever wanted to fly anywhere, or--”

“So then we  _ could _ get married, if we got the documents?”

“Well, we um…” Shotaro had to look away from Philip’s eager face. “Philip, we can’t… as two guys, it’s not legal for us to get married.”

“Oh.” Shotaro watched the excitement drain from Philip’s face. “I had never considered looking up marriage laws.” He tapped his lips thoughtfully. “We could make me a woman on the documents.”

Shotaro gave a weak grin. “That would have its own problems.”

Philip scowled, turning his back to him. “Are you sure it's not just that you don’t want to marry me?”

He grabbed Philip’s shoulder and spun them face to face. “Partner, I’d marry you right now if I could.”

Philip’s delicate smile returned the light to his eyes. “Then let's do it.”

“But we just said how--”

“The legal stuff is just like the ceremony, isn't it? Just different ways to recognize the contract between us. What matters is what we decide with each other, isn't that right?”

Shotaro could only gape at him for a moment. “I--yeah. Yeah, that's right.”

Philip stood, pulling Shotaro with him by the hands. “Well, I've decided I want to marry you.”

“A-ah, Philip, are you sure? If we're--if you're taking this seriously, that's still a big decision, even if it's just between us…”

Philip pulled them along into the open space near the door, moving his feet along to the waltz they had learned for Akiko’s wedding. “Shotaro, what do  _ you  _ think being married is?”

“Well, it's… you--you love each other more than anyone else.”

“Mm. I love  _ you _ more than anyone else. Do you love me?”

“You know I do.” He brushed the lightest kiss onto Philip’s nose. 

Philip giggled. “What else is it?”

“You live together.”

“We already do that too.”

“And you do… um… other stuff we already do.”

Philip gave him a look of disbelief. “That's the most half-boiled thing you've ever said and I’m divorcing you.”

“Oh shut up.”

Philip pulled him closer, their waltz taking them through the doorway and into the kitchen. “Know what I think it is?”

“What?”

“I think it's deciding you want to be partners forever, and promising that to each other, and doing everything to keep it.”

“Sounds nice,” Shotaro murmured, resting his forehead against Philip’s. 

“Mm. Kinda sounds like what we already do, to me.”

“That's true.”

“So then, are you going to live up to your word and marry me right now?”

“A hard-boiled man always keeps his promises,” he replied with false bravado. “But I won't be able to see how beautiful you are in a wedding dress.”

Philip stilled. “I'll find something.” He planted a kiss on Shotaro’s cheek. “You get dressed up to.”

“What am I supposed to--” But Philip had already disappeared into the garage. 

Shotaro sighed, turning to dig through his clothes. Should he just pull his suit from the wedding back on? But no, this wasn’t Akiko’s wedding, it was theirs, apparently, and he should do… something.

He put on a white shirt, then found a white vest, white tie. He didn’t have any white pants, so a khaki-colored pair would have to work. A hat--ah. Yes, the boss’s hat would be appropriate. Their relationship had sprung forth from that tragedy, and if Akiko had remembered him in her wedding, then dammit, he could do so in his own. 

He set the hat on his head and turned to view the agency with a frown. It was no cathedral, that was for sure; coffee mugs were strewn across the counter, his desk overflowed with papers, and their outfits from earlier were still laid out on the bed where they’d shed them. But their love hadn’t been forged in some sanctified space, it had been forged here, day by day, moment by moment, between cups of coffee and case files, and that was good enough.

Still, Shotaro shoved the mugs into the sink and cleared off the papers that had migrated from his desk to the table. Digging around, he found three candles and an old plastic tablecloth from a Christmas party, only slightly coffee-stained. By the time he heard the garage door open, he’d spread the table with them, the two lit candles on either side of the unlit one. 

“You made an altar,” Philip said, voice both touched and amused, and Shotaro turned to say that this was  _ his  _ idea anyway, so he could cut out any mocking, but then he saw him and his mouth hung open, words unformed. 

He wore the white version of his long hooded vests and, as far as Shotaro could tell, nothing else; it was belted around the waist and held together for the rest of the length by binder clips. More clips than usual dotted his hair, which had been turned and swept into a half-up half-down hairstyle, or as close as he could get with his hair length. Strands of plastic pearls wound from his hair around his neck, and Shotaro wondered where he got them until he realized those were old Christmas decorations too. 

“Well?” he asked, giving the vest a little twirl.

Shotaro swallowed. “Didn’t I say I’m not a liar?” Philip cocked his head curiously, stepping closer, and Shotaro took his hands. “You’re beautiful.”

Philip grinned. “You look rather dashing yourself.” Hand in hand, he led Shotaro over to the makeshift altar.  

“So then,” Shotaro asked past the shaking in his voice, “what would your vows be?”

Philip freed one of his hands to stroke his lip thoughtfully. “I vow… to love you forever, even when you’re being half-boiled--no, especially then. To be your partner in every way I can. To… to drink the coffee you make me, even when it’s too sweet. To try not to ignore you when I’m doing a lookup.”

Shotaro snorted. “Don’t make vows you can’t keep, Philip.”

“I said I’d try! And anyway, I meant when you’re trying to transform into W.”

“Ah, you’ll try not to ignore me when my life might be in danger. How thoughtful of you.”

“Shotaro!”

He pulled Philip in for a kiss, but Philip pushed back against his chest. “No, we can’t kiss yet, you have to do yours!”

“Okay, okay. I vow, um… I’ll always love you and be your partner, even when you’re being ridiculous. I’ll pretend to be interested in your latest obsessions, uh… at least once a week.” His eyes roved across Philip’s rueful smile. “I’ll tell you you’re beautiful in whatever dresses you want to wear. And I’ll always buy clips for your hair.”

“Are you taking this seriously?” Philip asked, but he was laughing.

“So seriously. Now: do you, Philip, take this man--that’s me,” he added in a mock whisper, hand by his mouth, earning him another laugh, “to be your unlawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health and world-ending disasters?”

Philip was glowing as he stifled his laughter and answered, “I do. And do you, Hidari Shotaro, take me to be your husband, ‘til death do us--”

“No!” Shotaro broke in, making Philip flinch. “No, not ‘til death do us part. I vow to never let death part us again. That--that, I do.”

Philip clasped both his hands around Shotaro’s, thumb working a pattern on his palm. “Okay. Okay, I’ll hold you to that then.”

Shotaro reached for the closest candle, and Philip followed his gesture. “I think I’ve seen this before. Don’t you think it’s a bit ironic for us?”

“Ironic?” Shotaro asked, as their candles met and ignited the third.

“Belated, maybe.”

“Then I guess we should have gotten married sooner.”

Philip stepped into his arms, wrapping around him and whispering, “I now pronounce you husband and husband.” Then their lips met and he was drowning in it, like it was the first time, though which first time he wasn’t sure: the first time he saw him, walking zombie-like through the Museum complex? The first time he’d looked over from typing up a case report and thought,  _ This man is going to be my partner forever _ ? The first time Philip materialized in front of him after a year of plodding, endless grieving? The first kiss they shared after that, a promise of a lifetime of solving crimes and shared cups of coffee and no more empty nights?

When they broke apart, Philip looked as breathless as he felt, and he couldn’t keep from giving a laugh and spinning them around.

Philip buried his face in his neck. “Happy wedding day, Shotaro.”

“We better enjoy it. We won’t be able to celebrate our anniversary, Akiko would kill us if she found out we got married the same day she did.”

“That’s okay. Even if you are my husband, I think I’ll stick with calling you my partner anyway.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, partner.” Shotaro pulled him back, following the way the plastic beads draped across his collarbone, then asked with a frown, “By the way, are you wearing anything under there?”

Philip gave him a wicked grin, grabbing him by the tie. “You’re my husband. Come find out.”


End file.
